LeoGlossary: The Pelican Brief (1993 Film) (@leoglossary)

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The Pelican Brief is a 1993 American legal thriller film directed by Alan J. Pakula and starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. It is based on the 1992 novel of the same name by John Grisham.

The film tells the story of Darby Shaw (Roberts), a Tulane University law student who writes a legal brief detailing her theory on why two Supreme court justices were assassinated. Shaw's brief is titled "The Pelican Brief," and it suggests that the justices were killed because they were investigating a conspiracy involving a powerful oil company and the death of an environmental activist.

Shaw's brief comes to the attention of Thomas Callahan (Washington), a law professor and Shaw's lover. Callahan believes that Shaw's theory is correct, and he helps her to investigate the conspiracy further. However, Callahan is soon killed in a car bombing.

Shaw is now on the run, and she must use her legal skills to survive and to expose the truth behind the conspiracy. She is aided by Gray Grantham (Denzel Washington), a Washington Herald reporter who is also investigating the assassinations.

Together, Shaw and Grantham uncover a complex web of corruption that reaches to the highest levels of government. They also discover that the oil company is involved in a massive environmental cover-up.

Shaw and Grantham eventually expose the truth, and the oil company is brought to justice. However, their victory comes at a great cost. Shaw has lost her lover and her mentor, and she has been forced to live in hiding.

The Pelican Brief is a suspenseful and thrilling film that explores the themes of corruption, power, and justice. It is also a love letter to the legal profession, and it celebrates the power of the law to protect the rights of the individual.